Helping a Ghost
by cripeswolfdee
Summary: Sam finds herself invisiable and Jack is the only one who can help her.
1. Disappearance

Stargate SG-1  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, though if I could, you'd never see Jack.  
  
Note: I have not seen every episode of SG-1, nor have I really seen many from season 7, so please don't correct me on those mistakes I might make. Also, what happens in the story may not be scientifically possible, but who cares right? And I suck at technobabble, so bare with me. Otherwise, just enjoy!  
  
1/?  
  
Sam woke with a jump as she heard the alarm going off. "Off world activation." She jumped into some clothes and rushed to the stargate. Jack and Daniel were the only ones away, and they weren't expected back till eight the next morning. It wasn't even midnight.  
  
Sam's heart pounded in her chest as a million thoughts raced through her mind. She didn't go with them, as it was a routine visit with the Nox. Sam slowed to a brisk walk as she approached the gate room.  
  
Jack was walking through the gate, carrying an unconscious Daniel. She rushed to them, Janet not far behind her. "What happened?" Sam asked, panic-stricken.  
  
"Routine visit my ass." Jack said, handing Daniel over to Teal'c. "He's just sleeping." Jack informed Janet as she ordered Teal'c to take Daniel to the infirmary. Janet looked over her shoulder at him, her eyes saying she wanted to check him out for himself.  
  
Sam stayed back with Jack as Gen. Hammond went with Teal'c and Janet. "What happened?"  
  
"I'll tell ya over dinner." Jack smiled at her.  
  
Sam smiled back, lowering her eyes. When she raised them she was blushing. "Sir-"  
  
Jack cut her off. "He was shot by a Jaffa, the Nox healed him, but we were being attacked as they were doing their...thing. They told me he would wake up to be healed, but it might take a few more hours. They helped us to the gate, then disappeared as we jumped through."  
  
Sam nodded. Daniel would be fine, and Jack was back. She could sleep restfully again.  
  
"Well, you look beat. Can't sleep when I'm gone?" Jack teased her.  
  
She blushed again. "Janet and I stayed up late. You know, girl talk."  
  
"Girl talk huh?" Jack leaned down close to her ear. "I thought you were just worried about me." He said as he walked out of the gate room.  
  
Sam watched him go, then shook her head. Why'd he have that effect on her? She sighed and decided to go check on Daniel before going back to bed.  
  
When she walked into the infirmary she had an odd sensation flow through her. Something happened, but she wasn't sure what. She looked to her left and saw Daniel sleeping peacefully. Janet looked up as the door closed behind Jack. "How's he doin' doc?"  
  
She smiled at him. "He's just sleeping." Her smile widened as Jack raised his eyebrow.  
  
"I told ya." He looked over at Daniel then back at Janet. "Sam says you two stayed up late. Something about 'girl talk'."  
  
Sam blushed again, as she knew Janet would tell the truth. "No sir, I went to bed early."  
  
Jack smiled. "She ever talk about me Janet?"  
  
Sam cleared her throat. Neither of them had even acknowledged that she was there.  
  
Janet smiled a little. "You know I can't tell you Jack."  
  
He nodded. "Yeah, yeah. So you've told me before."  
  
Sam walked next to Jack and stood in front of him. "What is this, high school?" She teased him.  
  
Jack turned to leave. He stopped at the door and turned back around. "Let me know when he wakes up."  
  
"Will do." Janet said, looking up for a moment from her computer.  
  
Sam's mouth gaped as she watched Jack leave. He had ignored her. Completely ignored her. "That was rude!" She exclaimed, looking at Janet expecting some sympathy. Janet did not respond. "Hello! Janet!"  
  
Nothing. She just continued to ignore her. 


	2. The Search

2/?  
  
Sam tried for ten minutes to get Janet to talk to her, but nothing worked. She tried everything she could think of, to no avail. She finally gave up and tried to decided to try Teal'c. Something was going on, and she had no clue what it was.  
  
"Teal'c, Janet and Jack are ignoring me." She said as she walked into Teal'c's room. He was meditating. He was in one of those deep states. Probably talking to his symbiote. After trying to get some recognition from him, she gave up.  
  
Gen. Hammond was sleeping, she knew she'd never rouse him.  
  
As a last resort, though she didn't think it'd do much good, she went to Jack's room. He was sitting on his bed reading. Sam had long since realized that she could walk through doors and walls, so she did. She was able to sit on Jack's bed, which she found odd. She looked up at him and then at the book he was reading. A fishing book, of course.  
  
"Jack, can you hear me?" Sam was beginning to feel desperate. "Jack." She said quietly. "JACK!" She yelled. Nothing. She sighed and lay back on his bed.  
  
"Whoa!" Jack jumped up.  
  
"What?" Sam asked, sitting up. "Can you see me?"  
  
Jack just stared at his bed. He shook his head and closed his eyes. When he opened them again he dropped the book.  
  
"Jack? What is it?" Sam asked, knowing he couldn't see her.  
  
"I get back from a terrible mission, and now I have ghosts!" He exclaimed, still looking at his bed.  
  
"He can see my outline on the bed." Sam reasoned. "If he can see that, maybe he can see other things." She stood and went to his mirror.  
  
Jack laid his book down and studied his bed.  
  
Sam tried to blow breath on the mirror, but it seemed even it couldn't see her. She truly was a ghost. With a sigh she looked back over at Jack.  
  
After examining his bed Jack decided that it was a trick of his eyes. He probably needed glasses. He turned off the light and crawled into bed.  
  
Sam sat on his chair; her knees brought up to her stomach. She watched him sleep; knowing none would come to her.  
  
_  
  
The next morning she left Jack when he started to get dressed. She headed to the briefing room, wanting to be the first to get there, per usual. It didn't matter if no one could see her.  
  
"So the oddest thing happened to me last night." Jack was telling Teal'c as they walked into the briefing room. "I thought I saw a ghost. Or rather, the outline of a ghost." Teal'c raised his eyebrow. "I know what you are going to say, and believe me, I don't either." Jack stopped when he looked up. "You're kidding? We beat Carter?"  
  
"NO!" Sam shouted.  
  
Ten minutes later Daniel, who had woken around five, was seated next to Janet. Gen. Hammond was at the end, and Jack and Teal'c were across from Daniel and the doctor. "Uh, where's Sam?" Daniel asked.  
  
Jack shrugged. "In her room perhaps?" Teal'c asked.  
  
"It's not like her to not be here." Janet said, concern for her friend clear on her face.  
  
Gen. Hammond asked Janet to go find Sam.  
  
"Daniel, tell me, do you believe in ghosts?" Jack asked. Teal'c looked at him with raised eyebrows. "I know Teal'c, but if he does, then I may not be crazy."  
  
Daniel studied Jack for a moment before going into a lengthy reason about why he did believe in ghosts. "Why? Did you see one last night?"  
  
"Not exactly. Just the imprint on my bed, but it went away."  
  
"It was probably just the cover Jack."  
  
Janet came into the room out of breath. "I can't find her."  
  
"Because I'm here!" Sam shouted. Tears began to well up in her eyes. What was happening?  
  
Jack immediately jumped up and went to the phone to overhead page her. "Major Carter please report to the briefing room immediately."  
  
After a few minuets and still no Sam, the search began. 


	3. The Search Cont

3/?  
  
Two hours of searching every last inch of the base proved to be futile. No one could find Sam. There was no trace of her leaving either. "I don't understand. She didn't take anything, didn't even make her bed." Daniel was running his hands through his hair. "Why would she leave without taking anything?"  
  
"Would she have gone through the Stargate?" Gen. Hammond asked.  
  
"To where?" Jack asked, his voice displaying his worry.  
  
They were all in her quarters, going through her stuff. Sam was on her bed, watching her friends, her family, search for traces of where she might be.  
  
"I don't know." Daniel sighed, slumping down onto Sam's chair.  
  
Determined not to give up, they left her room and searched the grounds again. By two they had decided to gate to different worlds. "Don't spend more time then is necessary to see if Maj. Carter is there." Gen. Hammond instructed each team that went out.  
  
When all teams were back by five, each having gone to two different worlds, and each team was fruitless, Gen. Hammond called off the search. "Maybe she just needed a break." He tried to reassure everybody.  
  
Jack sat in his room fidgeting. He was very unsettled. This was not right. There was something terribly wrong. He heard a knock on his door and beckoned the person to come in. It was Daniel.  
  
"Jack, something's not right here. Sam would not just 'need a break' and not tell anyone."  
  
"I know Daniel. A person doesn't just disappear. Especially a person like Sam."  
  
Daniel thought a moment. "Tell me about this 'ghost' you saw last night."  
  
Sam, who had been sitting next to Jack on his bed, sat up. "Come on Jack, you know it was me."  
  
"It was nothing. Just the covers, like you said."  
  
Daniel frowned. "I'm going to see if Janet has come up with any theories, I'm all out."  
  
"Let me know if any of them pan out." Jack called as Daniel walked out of his room. Jack sighed. "Sam, where are you?"  
  
"I'm right here Jack!" Sam shouted. She began to cry in her desperation. "Come on Jack, you know I'm here, just think a little bit more!"  
  
Jack got out of bed and left his room. Sam's sobs grew deeper as she started to lose hope of ever being found again. 


	4. The bend on the bed

4/?  
  
Sam gathered herself and went to see what Gen. Hammond was doing. She was surprised to find him on the phone. "We've searched all over sir." The General nodded, his face grim. Obviously someone higher up then him was telling him bad news. "I will give you updates as soon as we get them sir." And then he hung up. He called the SG1 team into his office then. "The President wants us to report Maj. Carter as missing, and then just...go on with our lives."  
  
"What?" Jack asked, jumping up from his chair. "Just 'go on with our lives'? How can we do that? One of our team is missing, vanished, and we're expected to just live as if nothing was wrong?"  
  
"General, sir, I don't think we should give up." Daniel added. "We all know Sam too well. She would not have just left for a vacation without telling anyone. She follows protocol to the t sir."  
  
"Yeah!" Sam agreed with Daniel.  
  
The General sighed. "Of course you don't have to act like nothing is wrong, but our main focus is to get back to work."  
  
Jack stared at Gen. Hammond for a few moments, his intense seeming to burn him. In disgust he walked out of the room, ignoring the General's calls for him to come back.  
  
Back in his room, Jack sat on his bed once again. He'd seen something there before. He knew it wasn't the sheets, but could it be Sam?  
  
Sam had followed Jack into his room, and she now stood by his bed, watching him. Jack ran a hand through his hair before speaking. "Sam, if you're in here, let me know."  
  
Sam smiled. She sat down on the bed and watched Jack's face change to surprise. "I'm here Jack."  
  
"Oh crap. What do I do now?" He asked himself.  
  
"Go tell Daniel." Sam ordered.  
  
"Prove to me that it's you."  
  
Sam lay down on his bed and spread her arms out, then began to wave them on the covers. "Jack..." She whispered.  
  
Jack smiled, remembering a time on a seemingly distant world covered in snow. A time that, even with a broken rib, even with the freezing cold, Sam had still looked like an angel. A snow angel. He remembered snuggling next to her to keep warm. It didn't help a bit, but he wouldn't have told her that. "Sam..." He whispered.  
  
She stopped her moving and looked at him. "Help me Jack."  
  
"Stay here. I'm going to go get Daniel." Jack jumped up and ran to Daniel's quarters. "Daniel...come with me."  
  
Daniel looked up from his books and stared at Jack. "What is it?" He asked, standing up. He followed Jack to his quarters, wondering what he'd found out.  
  
"Look at my bed." Jack pointed to where Samantha sat.  
  
"Yeah..."  
  
"Look at the dent. It's Sam."  
  
"Is that what you saw earlier? Jack, it's the covers."  
  
Jack sighed. "Sam, do the angel thing." Sam obeyed. "See that!"  
  
Daniel took his glasses off and polished them, then replaced them on his head. "Was that real?"  
  
"It was Sam." Jack said desperately. "I've gotten you that far, now you figure out what happened."  
  
"Jack, I..."  
  
"Had better get started." Jack pushed Daniel out of the room and watched him walk down the hall to his own quarters where he could research. After Daniel left Jack turned back to the bed, and Sam. Letting his thoughts escape through his lips before he could stop them, Jack whispered, "I finally get you on the bed, and now I can't see you."  
  
Sam blushed, knowing that Jack didn't mean to, nor did he realize that he did, say that out loud.  
  
"Sam," Jack said, walking back to the bed, "we're gonna find a way to make you visible again. I promise."  
  
She believed him. She believed everything he said. "I know you will Jack."  
  
Jack looked at his watch. Ten o'clock. Though he was a late nighter, he was very worn out by the search. "Going to bed now Sam." Jack said, a little louder then necessary. He paused. "You can join me if you...need some company."  
  
Sam smiled. He knew her all too well. She wondered if she put the covers over her if she'd have form. That would be interesting. Jack got under the covers and held them out, expecting her to crawl into bed with him. She could tell that he was wondering the same thing she was. Was this pushing their relationship too far? Even though she was invisible, if she had form under the covers...she let her thoughts roam before she could stop them. They had always been so strict in their relationship. "Did you leave?" Jack asked into the air. She shook her head and crawled into the bed. She was not going to give this chance up, it may not come again. 


	5. Research

5/?  
  
Daniel sat at his desk hunched over his computer. Sam was alive, and on base, just not visible. Running a hand through his hair Daniel blew out his cheeks. There was nothing in his files about this. Nothing to give him a clue how to bring Sam back. Sam was the idea girl. She'd come up with the idea, and then they'd work on it together. He needed Sam for this. With an exasperated grunt, Daniel derailed his train of thoughts and got back to the research. There just had to be something...  
  
An hour later, after giving up on his files, he decided to search online. Sure it was a longshot...but he had to try. Hitting his internet button Daniel was automatically taken to his e-mail. He hadn't checked it in days and there were many to go through. He was about to ignore the page and go right to searching when he saw an e-mail from Sam sent two days ago, while he was off world. He opened it up and smiled. It was one of her infamous jokes. This one was about a guy fishing. Jack would love it.  
  
Still smiling from the joke, Daniel went to his favorite search engine, Google, and typed in 'invisible'. Immediately hundreds of pages popped up. Daniel sighed and tried to narrow his search. 'Invisible people'. Fifty pages came up. Daniel immediately discarded the ones about invisible superheroes. After clicking a cleverly disguised porn site, a few failed links, and an update on the chances of becoming invisible while having an affair, Daniel found his site. Ingeniously titled "Becoming Invisible: A Cure For The Sight Impaired", the site held all kinds of info. With subtitles that included Invisible Due to Magic, Invisible Due to a Potion, and many more, Daniel spent thirty minutes just searching for a subtitle that fit his case. Finally finding it, "Invisible Gates" Daniel clicked on the link. Thinking that it was disguised to ward of anyone who didn't about the Stargate, Daniel smiled when he saw the site he was brought to. It asked for a password, and he knew he'd found it. It was part of the government. Daniel knew the password, Gen. Hammond gave it to him a year ago when he had to search on something else. He typed in the word, 'freedom', and was brought to another site filled with information. Daniel adjusted his glasses and prepared for a long night of reading. 


	6. the covers

6/? Author's Note: This chapter has been revamped b/c a reviewer asked why the covers did not form around her, and I couldn't explain it, so I decided to redo it. Hopefully this will be better! More fun for me at least! :)  
  
Having closed her eyes and held her breath, Sam lay very still as the covers floated down due to gravity. She opened her eyes in disbelief when she felt them land on her side. She looked down and there they were, laying on her, forming an outline of her. She looked at Jack who had been holding his breath as well.  
  
Jack was staring at the covers that formed Sam's body. She had amazing curves, Jack had to admit that. He looked back at where her head would lay and smiled at her. "I see you...kinda."  
  
Sam smiled back, though he couldn't see it. She ran her hand under the covers and he watched as it went to him. She realized that she was being bold, very bold. She knew that if he could see her she would not do what she was about to do, but being invisible had an impact on her. She placed her hand on his shoulder and he closed his eyes, feeling every inch of her skin against his. Surprisingly she was warm. "Jack..." Sam whispered, knowing he couldn't hear her.  
  
Jack, in response to Sam's touch, reached for her and pulled her close. He ignored the thoughts going through his head. 'This is right, you're her CO.' 'You can't even see her!' He mentally told those guys to shut up. This was his shot, probably his only shot, to hold her, and he was going to take it. When he felt her cuddle closer to him, her hand rubbing his back encouragingly, Jack closed his eyes again. He was fighting himself. His impulse was telling him to grab her and kiss her deeply, but his mind was holding him back. Would they, no, would she, regret it the next morning?  
  
Sam, seeing his brow furrow as he was deep in thought lightly touched the grove between his eyebrows with her thumb. He opened his eyes again and wondered if he'd ever get to see her again. She was invisible, and though he could feel her, it wasn't the same. He wanted to look at her, to look into her beautiful eyes and see them shine. He wanted to see her blush. With a sigh he began to loose his grip on her. This was not how he wanted to do this. Fully aware that he might be giving up his only chance with her, he began to explain himself. "Sam, look-" 


	7. enlisting help

7/?  
  
Daniel, disgusted that he hadn't found anything yet, pushed himself away from his desk and went to his phone, next to his bed. He dialed Janet's number and a sleepy Cassie answered. "Cassandra, its Daniel."  
  
"MOM!!!!!" Cassandra yelled before Daniel could ask for her.  
  
"Who would call this late?" Daniel heard Janet ask herself as she picked up the phone. A yawn escaped before she could say hello.  
  
"Janet, its Daniel. I'm sorry to have waken you and Cassandra."  
  
"What's wrong? Have they found Sam? Is she ok?"  
  
"Yes, and no, and not exactly. It's very complicated, and I desperately need your help. I'm so tired I can't think and they words are running together."  
  
"Daniel, what are you talking about?"  
  
Daniel proceeded to tell her about Sam's invisibility. "I'm researching at this site and I have to read everything five times before I realize that I don't know what I've just read."  
  
Janet smiled to herself. Gotta love his loyalties. "Give me the site Daniel. I'll read up on it while you get some sleep. I'll call you if I find out something tonight."  
  
"Janet, you're a life saver." He told her where to go and she said she had the password. After a quick goodbye they hung up the phone. Daniel fell over on his bed exhausted. He was asleep before Janet's phone disconnected them.  
  
"Is everything ok Mom?" Cassie asked from the doorway.  
  
Janet turned her computer on. "Yes honey. Go back to sleep, I just have to research something for Daniel." Cassie nodded, then left the room. Janet sighed as she realized that it was going to be a long night. 


	8. fairytale ending

8/?  
  
Author's note: Sorry it's taken me so long to update. Started writing my Thunder fic, and I've been trying to figure out how to save chap 6, when I just decided to redo it, and then, of course, the Campers fic by Neuropsych have kept me busy. If you haven't read them, do so now...after reading my fic of course :)  
  
Janet called Daniel an hour later, excitement pouring from her. She'd found it. She'd found Sam's cure!  
  
"Hello?" Daniel asked into the receiver, rubbing his eyes.  
  
"Daniel, its Janet. Your computer still on?" She asked, knowing it would still be on the last page he'd browsed.  
  
"Yeah." He answered, putting his glasses on and returning to his seat by his desk. "What page?"  
  
She told him where to go and waited for him to read it. "Um...is this saying what I think it's saying?"  
  
Janet almost giggled. "Yep."  
  
"So, Sam's stuck in a fairytale, and only her one true love can save her?" Daniel did not believe what he was reading.  
  
"Yep. And he has to kiss her." Janet grinned into the phone.  
  
Daniel, dumbfounded, rubbed his eyes again. "Where do I find him?"  
  
Janet shook her head, a grin still on her face. "Probably in his room."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Daniel, its Jack. Tell Jack."  
  
"He's her CO, and they are only friends..."  
  
"Yeah, and General Hammond has a head full of hair. Go tell him." She ordered him again, then threatened to tell Jack herself.  
  
"No no no. I'll do it. Thanks." He hung up the phone and stared at his computer while trying to think of how to tell Jack O'Neill that he had to kiss Sam in hopes of being her one true love. This wasn't going to be easy.  
  
- - -  
  
Jack's speech was interrupted buy sudden pressure on them. Instinct told him to wrap his arms tightly around the person kissing him. He heard Sam moan quietly as he deepened the kiss, all barricades collapsing.  
  
"Jack! I think I have a cure!" Daniel exclaimed, bursting into Jack's room without knocking. "You have to kiss-" Daniel looked over at the bed to see a shocked Jack holding a very red and embarrassed Sam. "Uh...nevermind." He left the room, shaking his head and dreading telling Janet that she was right.  
  
Jack looked over at Sam, who was completely visible, and red. In the darkness of the room she looked even more beautiful then ever. Deciding that words could not even begin to express the thoughts and emotions going through him, Jack kissed her again, intending to take up where they left off. Sam giggled as she realized that all it took was for Jack to kiss her. Or, rather, she supposed, for her to kiss him. She deepened the kiss and brought Jack closer to her, the barricades completely gone, never to rise again.  
  
Author's Note: I hope it wasn't too quick of an ending...I wanted it to be a fairytale thing, and to have Daniel walk in on them kissing, and her being visible b/c of it. I don' know. What do ya'll think? Does Chap 8 need a bit more tweaking? Let me know honestly. You can e-mail me if ya want.  
  
Hope ya'll enjoyed, and let me know what you think! 


End file.
